Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) are used in a variety of different environments in which an interruption of power due to the variations or loss of the primary power source is unacceptable. Since reliability is a chief attribute required of such systems, constant maintenance is required. In particular, the batteries that constitute a major portion of a UPS must be constantly checked to make certain that battery banks (which is usually connected in series) have no bad batteries and that the overall load performance of the entire battery tank was at acceptable levels.
Conventionally, the only way to check the battery bank and perform load tests is to physically open up the battery compartment of the UPS unit and place test leads directly on each of the individual batteries located within the main battery compartment. This procedure is very dangerous and has resulted in numerous instances of high voltage arcing with accompanying shock injury to individuals, as well as damage to the equipment.
There are no techniques or systems that avoid these hazards in the conventional art. Accordingly, any user of a UPS would greatly benefit from a test system that would permit safe and fast testing of individual batteries in the UPS.